About CDB

The Department of Cell and Developmental Biology is a vibrant, interdisciplinary environment for cutting-edge research over a scale that spans seven powers of ten, from single molecules to whole organisms. The difference between a test tube and a cell is spatio-temporal organization, and we study molecular, cellular and tissue organization in many of the laboratories within our department, seeking insights into fundamental biological questions and human disease. This year we achieved the #3 ranking in the nation for funding, as compared with similar departments in research institutions and universities. We are an interactive and highly collaborative department, with a strong graduate student association, outstanding core facilities, a top-ranked developmental biology program, and exceptionally strong faculty. Recent faculty recruits are studying cell migration using super-resolution microscopy, single molecule analysis of microtubule dynamics, systems biology of intestinal epithelia, stem cell biology, and the regulation of plasma membrane composition and aging.

We train top tier postdoctoral fellows, medical students and graduate students to continue our mission into the future. Over 61 graduate students are currently working in CDB laboratories; 42% of whom have published a paper in the 2018/2019 academic year. 26 CDB Students were contributing authors on 33 papers, 13 were first authors.